The 2000 DirecTV 500 was not only a highlight in the history of Texas Motor Speedway, it was a truly historic event in the history of NASCAR when a new generation of drivers took to the track that Sunday in April.

Adam Petty, son of Kyle Petty, grandson of “The King” Richard Petty and great-grandson of the Petty family patriarch, Lee Petty, made his one and only NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start that day.

With Petty blood coursing through his veins the 19-year old was the heir to the NASCAR throne and this race was the beginning of another chapter of the Petty family legacy.

When he took the green flag in his No. 45 Sprint sponsored Chevrolet, the young Petty became the first fourth-generation driver ever to race in the top-division of NASCAR.

His race ended early due to engine failure but nothing could have made that huge, pearly-white smile disappear from Adam’s face.

The other driver to make headlines that day was Dale Earnhardt Jr. A third-generation driver himself, Earnhardt Jr. earned his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory in the DirecTV 500.

It was only his 12th series start, 21 years and one day after his father Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s first career victory at Bristol in 1979. The elder Earnhardt’s first win came in his 16th career start.

Earnhardt Jr. did not just win, he whooped the field that day. He beat second place Jeff Burton by nearly six seconds. And his celebratory hollers after he crossed the stripe rivaled those of the fans who were celebrating with him.

Little E, as he was known then, went on to win again at Richmond and in the All-Star race the following month. Now in his tenth year of Sprint Cup competition, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s career has followed a path no one would have expected but he has certainly made a name for himself beyond the legacy of his last name.

Adam Petty, unfortunately never raced again in the Sprint Cup Series. He lost his life only a couple of weeks later in a Busch Series practice wreck at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

After his passing, his family created the Victory Junction Gang Camp in his honor. It was Adam’s dream to building a camp for chronically ill children and his parents made that dream come true. 

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